In the Frozen Tundra
by Chizu5645
Summary: Frozen/Hetalia crossover. In the mysterious northern kingdom of Rossiya, there lays a secret among the royal family that causes the country to go into a 13-year isolation period. The secret is revealed at the coronation of elder prince Ivan, which results in freezing all of Rossiya. It's up to Natalya, the younger princess, to save the kingdom. But is all as it seems...?
1. Of Magical Nights and Snowy Frights

Natalya stared coldly at the ceiling.

At only five years of age, the tot had already learned how to glare. Despite being a princess, being the youngest child still had its disadvantages. The servants fretted over her the most, her father the least. Her eldest sister Kat still paid attention to her even after taking over as queen after their mother's death. She still made time for Natalya, but with her duties, every day couldn't be a play day.

Natalya rolled around her bed, sleeplessly trying to get in a comfortable position. She blamed the early bedtime, which was always scheduled at dusk. With the impending arrival of winter, sunsets came earlier and earlier, and with it, bedtime. When she flipped over to face the window, she could still see the dying Rossiyan sunset filtering dark, gray light through her window behind the clouds.

 _Screw this,_ she thought. She was going to Ivan's room.

Natalya threw the covers off her, slipping into her white booties. She didn't bother changing out of her nightgown, as the closet doors were still too high for her small stature. When she came across her mirror near the door, she gave the dark blue-eyed reflection a cold, hard glare before exiting her room.

A majority of the servants had already retired to their quarters, making the hallways mostly empty. Some were still awake, dusting the already spotless castle, so Natalya had to hide in nooks or behind drawers should one pass by. That was a rare occurrence, however, so Natalya could safely run through the halls.

Ivan's room was quite a bit away from her room, but so was Kat's and her father's. If anything, Kat's room was closer to Natalya's, if she were to go the other way. It was as if her parents wanted their children's rooms to be so far away, and their mother died too soon to realize that that was a bad decision.

Without even knocking, Natalya entered her brother's room quietly. Her brother's room was different from hers, the window being triangular instead of a rectangle, the walls a light blue instead of mint green, and the closet a dresser instead. But despite the differences, it still felt like her own.

"Big Brother?" Natalya asked, shutting the door behind her.

The small figure on the bed did not move.

"Big Brother?" Natalya asked again, a bit more insistently. She approached the bed and climbed on. "Brother, wake up." Still no reaction. Frustrated, Natalya shoved the sleeping body. " _Ivan_ ," she hissed, foregoing the 'Big Brother' title. It was only for respect anyway, and if he was going to ignore her, screw respect.

The figure finally shifted, burying his head deeper in his pillows. "Natalya, please go back to sleep."

"I _can't_ ," Natalya deadpanned, inching closer to Ivan. "The stupid sky's still awake and bothering me."

"I think it's getting ready for bed."

Natalya huffed, shoving Ivan again. "I was being sarcastic. The sky's not actually .awake." She brushed back some short blonde hair, puffing out her cheeks. "... Could you play with me?"

Ivan rolled over so that he was facing Natalya, eyes still closed. "Play by yourself, Natalya." When he slightly opened an eye to see her still there, laying on her stomach parallel to him and glaring, he lightly pushed her off his bed. "I'm trying to sleep."

Natalya had slid off the bed and landed on her rump, her cheeks puffed out and eyes pointedly glaring at the side of the bed. She _really_ wanted to play with Ivan. Playing with him always remedied her wakefulness at night. Surely there was a way to convince him to get up…

Natalya inhaled sharply, a small smile on her face as she remembered an earlier play night. Of course!

She climbed back on the bed. Ivan had covered his head with the covers. Pulling back the blankets, she grinned slyly as she leaned in close and whispered, "Big Brother… Do you want to build a snowman?"

Ivan's eyes slowly opened at the phrase, and upon seeing Natalya's mischievous face, he slowly grinned as well.

Tonight was going to be so fun.

* * *

"Is it empty?" Natalya asked, rubbing mittened hands together. It wasn't actually cold, per say, but it was about to be.

Ivan peeked in, scanning the area. "Yeah."

They both entered the ballroom, the two grinning in delight.

Before they went to the ballroom, they had to get ready. For Ivan, only a beige overcoat was needed. But for Natalya, she had to bundle up more, with a pink dress coat, wool mittens, and brown snow boots. It was about to get cold, and waking up to fever was _not_ good.

They always played in the spacious ballroom, lighted by candles should a person need to go across. Gigantic skylights spanned the high ceiling, but with night already upon them, they were there only for dim moonlight to filter through. But tonight, the full moon peaked inside the skylights, the overcast clouds from earlier thinning away.

As Ivan shut the door behind them, Natalya ran to the middle of the ballroom, snow boot heels clicking on the floor. Childish delight smothered her usual sarcastic attitude and she shouted, "Come on, Brother! Do your magic!"

Ivan instinctively shushed her, but both of the children knew that the others would've been asleep right about now. He joined her in the middle of the ballroom, and he brought his hands together.

Immediately, a small swirl of ice and snowflakes flew around in his bare palm, forming a floating, loosely-packed snowball. When he threw his hands up, the snowball shot up in the air, exploding in beautiful snowflakes when it was close to the ceiling. Both Ivan and Natalya watched in wonder, the crystals catching the candlelight and moonlight in a hypnotic way.

Natalya struggled to tear her gaze from the spectacle and faced her older brother, eyes sparkling. "Do it again!"

Ivan grinned. "I'll do better!" He laughed, taking a few steps back. Natalya watched with rapt attention, realizing what he was about to do with glee.

Once he was satisfied, he started running. Light blue magic trailed his steps as he ran, and as he approached the center of the ballroom, he jumped up and stomped the floor beside Natalya.

A wave of blue, magic swirls spiraled away from him, coating the entire floor with a thick, smooth layer of ice. Natalya hopped to avoid being stuck on the floor by the ice, and she slid as she landed on the now iced floor. The ice reached the edges of the ballroom, some creeping up the walls.

Ivan frowned as he looked over his handiwork. "The ice should've reached higher on the walls…"

He suddenly stumbled as Natalya half tackled, half hugged the eight-year-old. "I don't care. I love it," she mumbled into his coat, and Ivan smiled.

"There's something missing," he pondered, then snapped his fingers. "Right! Our snowman!" He gently pushed Natalya away as he waved his arms upwards, causing storm flurries to appear and rain down snow at an unnatural rate. As the snow fell upon their shoulders, Ivan and Natalya rolled snowballs and stacked them. Soon, there were three snowballs standing on top of each other, like any traditional snowman.

Natalya huffed, crossing her arms in distress. "We forgot the carrot, sticks, and coal. Now we can't have a snowman."

Ivan scrutinized the snowball stack, walking around the icy floor with ease. He brushed dust-like snow out of his pale, white hair as he thought. Sure, they couldn't have a normal snowman… But suppose…

Ivan twirled a pointer finger, and the snow on the top snowball started to shape and take form. Soon, he used his whole hand, then used both hands as he molded the three snowballs into something more humanoid. Natalya raised an eyebrow but kept silent.

When Ivan was finished, which didn't take long, a short boy made out of glazed snow replaced the snowballs. He was just as tall as Ivan, possibly slightly shorter. There was a worried look on his face and he held his arms as if he was cold.

"His name is Raivis," Ivan introduced, waving his hands again. The boy's arms dropped and he went into an awkward bow. "And he's a huge scaredy cat."

"Raivis?" Natalya repeated, walking up to the snowman. He was still in his bowed position. She poked his curly yet somewhat spiky hair and the indent she made was magically filled. "Weird."

Ivan flicked his hand up, and Raivis stood straight. Natalya dodged his head as it came up. "He's kinda like the men that come to Father's meetings: short and talkative."

"But he doesn't talk."

"He does too," Ivan protested, waving both hands. Raivis's arms moved so that one was behind his back and the other was out in a handshake. His body leaned towards Natalya. "H-Hello, Miss Natalya," he said in a squeaky type of way. "N-Nice to m-meet you…"

Natalya laughed, taking Raivis's hand and attempting to shake it. It didn't move, however. "Nice to meet you too, _Sir Raivis_ ," Natalya mocked, imitating Kat whenever she had to shake hands with some strangers. The two had seen this type of greeting custom with a certain set of strangers, and they both thought it silly.

The three danced and played in the ballroom, laughing and slipping around. The moon was now high in the sky, its light outshining the candles'. Despite their best attempts, they sometimes would shriek in laughter or shout loudly, only to be shushed by the other and keep quiet.

Soon, Ivan and Natalya laid on their backs, underneath a snowbank as Raivis 'stood guard.'

"So…" Ivan exhaled, a small bubble of laughter erupting from his chest as he breathed hard. Doing magic was draining. "You ready to go to bed?"

Natalya laughed as well, also exhausted. "Not quite yet."

"Not yet?" Ivan asked incredulously, rolling over and wincing at the touch of wet fabric. They had played so much, both of their jackets were practically soaked. "I think it's midnight, Natalya."

"So?" Natalya rolled over as well, wincing also but eventually smiling. "I don't want to stop playing. Playing with you is fun. Playing with the others… Not so fun."

Ivan also smiled. "And we can only do this at night. Father doesn't like my magic. Nobody really does, except you."

"And Big Sister!" Natalya shouted, then covered her grinning mouth as Ivan shushed her. "Kat likes your magic too. She just can't like it as much as me."

Ivan sat up, resting his back against the snowbank. Natalya did the same. "Yeah… I guess."

Natalya stayed silent, pinching the snow until she looked at Ivan with excitement. "We should marry!"

Ivan looked back at her, surprised. "Wh- _What_?" He sputtered, purple eyes wide. _Marry_?

Natalya nodded eagerly. "Yes, marry! You'll be the king, I'll be the queen! And your wife!"

Ivan blinked in surprise. "But what about Kat?"

"She might get old," Natalya reasoned, hugging her legs. "And I love you! So, so much! More than anyone in the world!"

Ivan looked at Natalya's pleading face. She was right; nobody really loved him as much as Natalya, not even Father or Kat combined. And Kat had said Mother and Father loved each other as well, even if Mother was a common herbalist.

He bit his lip, looking away. "I don't know... I'll tell you later when we're older, okay?" He smiled uncertainly, hoping his sister wouldn't freak out.

Natalya clapped her hands, smiling back. "Okay!" She stood up, rounding the snowbank. "Come on, Brother, let's play one more time!" She passed Raivis as she climbed onto a high snow mound. "Are you ready?"

Ivan stood up, and he grinned. He walked around the snowbank and stood beside Raivis. "Ready!"

A determined smile on her face, Natalya jumped.

Quick as a rabbit, a snow peak grew from the ice floor, catching Natalya. Natalya jumped again, and Ivan made snow peak after snow peak pop up to catch his sister.

She paused slightly to shout down, "I bet we can do this faster, Brother!"

Ivan also paused, surprised. "Faster?"

Natalya didn't answer, jumping again. Ivan hastily made another snow peak, this one a bit sloppy.

Ivan panted, making another messy snow peak to catch Natalya. "Natalya, please stop-" He gasped, hands retracting in an attempt to rest himself.

Not hearing her brother's request, Natalya jumped again. At this point, she was quite high, and when her feet didn't land on the familiar snow, she started to scream.

" _Brother!_ " She screeched, arms flailing as she fell.

" _Natalya!_ " Ivan cried out, panicking and flicking his wrist out to try and make a snow peak to catch her. However, the desired spell didn't come out, and instead, a bolt of ice magic shot out of his hand and struck Natalya's forehead. Screaming cut off, she dropped, landing on a snow mound with a dull _thud_.

Ivan stayed still, shell-shocked, before gasping and running towards his fallen sister.

"Natalya!" He shouted, sliding over the ice and kneeling towards Natalya. She laid limp in his arms, and shaking did not wake her. "Father! Kat! _Help me_!"

Ivan hugged the unconscious Natalya, sobbing. He didn't notice the ice creeping along the walls, where in some places ice overlapped other ice layers. He didn't notice that the snow seemed to be possessed by some restless spirit, swirling softly and low to the ground. He didn't even notice that his sister had turned deathly cold, deathly pale. All he cared about was Natalya.

At the sound of bangs loud as thunder, Ivan looked up just in time for one of the entrances of the ballroom to burst open. He instinctively pulled Natalya closer to him, but relaxed when he saw Kat rushing towards them, ahead of others by the entrance. She, however, was not as relaxed.

"Ivan, what happened?" Kat asked in a hurried whisper, then gasped when she saw Natalya. "Natalya!" She kneeled in the snow, despite only being in a nightgown, and stroked Natalya's cheek. She flinched the moment she touched her, though. "Oh…"

"Kat?" A deeper voice asked, and Ivan looked up. Their father stood behind Kat, hard gaze on him. He then gasped. "Natalya?"

"I swear, it was an accident!" Ivan shouted desperately at the sight of his father's glare, which painstakingly looked like Natalya's. "Sh-She just… I just… It was an accident, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, Ivan," Kat hushed, gently taking Natalya in her arms and picking her up. She faced the King with a worried expression. "Natalya's ice cold, Father…"

The King laid a hand on Natalya's forehead, inhaling sharply at the unnatural cold touch. He thought for a while, before looking up at Kat. "Go to the stables. Get a coach ready."

"We're not getting a doctor for this?" Kat demanded, holding Natalya closer.

He looked down at Ivan, his cold stare even colder. "There's somewhere else we have to go. No doctor can cure this." He turned around, shouting commands out to the servants.

Kat stayed rooted to the floor, staring at her father. Ivan stood up, looking up worriedly. "Kat?" He whispered, keeping his hands to himself.

Kat snapped out of her trance, looking down at Ivan. "Ivan," she exhaled, pursing her lips. "Would you mind bringing Natalya to the stables? Wait for Father and me."

"What? Why?" Ivan cried, shying away from Kat.

"I need to change, Ivan. From what Father says, I believe this is somewhere very far." She kneeled beside Ivan, holding out Natalya. "I'll be quick, I promise."

"What if I make her worse?" Ivan stammered, hugging himself. "Suppose I _kill_ her? Father will kill _me_!"

Kat gave Ivan a weak smile. "Ivan, I have faith you'll protect Natalya. Just go to the stables. Okay?"

Ivan hesitated, looking at Natalya's lifeless body. He had hurt Natalya, rendering her unconscious. Kat had said that Natalya was cold; suppose he made her colder?

But Kat had faith in him. She said so. So perhaps Natalya would be safe…?

Ivan carefully plucked Natalya from Kat's arms. "O-Okay," he said shakily, clutching her tightly against his body. His feet took off, effortless sliding on the ice. Years of experience with the aid of magic kept him up and even sped him along until he reached the actual floor, in which he stumbled slightly from the change of traction. However, it didn't stop him from running. The looks he got from other servants didn't either.

Ivan rarely ventured outside the castle, due to his magic and the fear that others outside the castle would find out, but he had a vague idea of where the stables were because he would often find Natalya there, taunting the horses and cows. The reason was unknown to him, but he didn't think on it as he dashed through the halls. That would be for a later time.

He was unaware of the ice trailing behind him as he ran. Ice crystals sprung up where he stepped, growing until it joined with the ice from other steps. They formed a streak-like path, narrow and spiky. And as he neared the stables, the crystals that sprung had grown in size.

When he arrived at the stables, Ivan saw that servants were already preparing a sled large enough for the family. His father was arguing vehemently with another servant, both of them dressed to steer the coach. Ivan noticed that his father was clutching a map of sorts in his fist, old and wrinkled and tinged yellow.

"Sir… Would you like some assistance holding her?"

Ivan whirled around in a panic, before realizing it was just one of the younger servants: Eduard, that was his name. Young Eduard was learning to be a personal servant of Natalya when he was older, so of course he wanted to help. But looking at him, he looked too shaken up to hold anyone.

"No," Ivan said, a bit too firmly than he would've liked, but right now he could've cared less. "I can hold her."

Eduard looked like he was about to protest, but a senior servant grabbed his attention and he turned in that direction, shouting a "Coming!" as he ran towards the servant.

Ivan puffed out his cheeks, looking down on Natalya to check on her. He blinked in surprised as he saw that his sister's hair was a shade paler, and a splayed section of her hair was even a stark white against her the now golden-platinum blonde.

Did he cause this?

… Of course he did.

"Get on, Ivan."

Ivan looked up, only to see his father hold the reins of the sled and Kat beside him, the latter smiling gently while the former kept his hard gaze. Running to the sled, Ivan gave Natalya to Kat while he climbed on.

With a flick of the reins, the sled took off towards the mountains. Newly-forming ice trailed behind, now a thick stream, as the sled zoomed ahead.

Toris hated his life.

* * *

Oh, sure, there were some high points to it: he could do almost whatever he wanted, so he could own a pony named Feliks and stay outside all he wanted. But having no parents meant you had to work, despite being just seven years old, so you could pay rent and food. City life as an orphan sucked, so Toris took the only other job: ice harvesting in the mountains. A nice family who owned a trader's depot bought his ice, so he could stay and get a decent supper for both him and Feliks.

But ice harvesting was really hard. You could only carry one large ice cube by yourself, which was about a forearm length, width, and height. Even when he found Feliks in the forests and outfitted him with a small sled (which made him bring home _three_ cubes a night for a month), the workload didn't lessen, although it certainly made it easier.

Feliks was his absolute best friend. The kids at the trader's depot were very nice, but it was Feliks who stayed with Toris as he harvested the ice, as he traveled down the mountains, as he slept with him in the barn. If it wasn't for Feliks, Toris felt, he wouldn't have lasted long.

Tonight, it was the last days before winter started. As such, ice was higher and higher up the mountain streams before the snow came and brought new ice. Toris's small legs could only manage to climb the mountain only half-way, so he was only able to pick out a single cube, already cut by the older ice harvesters. Normally, he wouldn't steal (no no, it wasn't stealing if they weren't quick enough to grab it), but Toris was desperate. He needed that ice.

He sighed as he pulled on Feliks's bridle, colored pink. Feliks had the strange obsession with pastel colors like pink and purple, but mostly pink. Toris had already confirmed that Feliks was a male, but he didn't mind. Coloring leather wasn't too expensive, and the sled was already trimmed purple.

When Feliks expressed restraint, Toris pulled harder. "Feliks," Toris whispered, looking back at his pony. The pale chestnut balked, looking tiredly at his owner. "Feliks, come _on_ ," Toris insisted, pulling again.

Feliks bowed his head, shaking it slightly.

"What do you mean you're tired beyond belief?" Toris asked with indignation. Living with the horse for years created a telepathic-like connection between the two. "The stables are close by. We have to keep moving."

Feliks looked up, then nickered in exasperation. Toris smiled gratefully as he pulled Feliks along the path in the forest, already beaten down by previous journeys. The two traveled in silence, both eager to be home.

Just as he was at the edge of the forest and was about to cross across a mountain highway, something large rushed past him. Toris was taken aback by the sudden wind produced, stepping back. He was about to yell irritatedly at the rushing sled before finding out a peculiar oddity:

"Ice?"

Toris let go of Feliks's reins and walked to the middle of the highway, crouching down. A wake of ice glistened in the moonlight, the ice jagged and intimidating. He reached out with a mittened hand, and when he touched it, the crystals broke. Light blue lights floated away from the breakage point, hitting his mitten and glazing it over partially, sending cold tingling through his arm. His hand retreated back in surprise, looking over the ice in amazement.

He looked to the side to check on Feliks and panicked when his pony was about to bite the ice. "Don't!" Toris shouted, taking off his iced glove to show Feliks. "Your tongue will look like this."

Feliks had stopped suddenly, tongue lolling out in trying to touch the ice. He retreated his tongue, snorting in annoyance. The ice looked so yummy!

Toris followed his gaze along the ice spikes, seeing it stretch along the highway. It intrigued him so much; that ice was magical, and he wanted to know what caused it. But he still had to deliver the ice to the depot… He glanced at Feliks, who stared back.

"Should I follow it?" Toris asked quietly.

Feliks cocked his head. He glanced at the ice, then at Toris.

Before he knew it, Toris was unhooking the sled from Feliks and was climbing on the pony's back. He had only officially ridden Feliks once when his legs were too tired and they didn't have a sled yet. Clutching tightly, he whispered, "Go!"

Feliks started running along the ice. Both unaccustomed to the concept of riding, they stumbled a bit at first before they were galloping at a fast pace.

It was easy to follow the ice trail, standing out from the gray mountain highway. The moonlight also helped, lighting the way and making the ice more noticeable. They were on the highway for a while before the ice diverted off into a rockier terrain, dipping down somewhat sharply. Feliks had hesitated at first but continued as Toris encouraged him.

Soon, Toris could see the sled, resting on the lip of a gently curving valley. Hopping down, Toris led Feliks to the edge of the valley behind some rocks. He gasped as he saw four figures - people - at the bottom of the deep valley. There was a man, a woman, a small boy… And a girl, who was being held by the woman. Were the man and woman the dad and mom?

"Please help!" The woman shouted, clutching the girl close to her. "My sister is unwell!"

Oh, the woman was an older sister. A much older sister, too. But what about the man? He must have been the father. And where was the mother?

Suddenly, rocks started to tumble down the valley and heading towards the family. Toris gasped, clutching the rock in front of him. They were going to be crushed! He covered his eyes, unable to watch the family's untimely death.

But when he didn't hear rocks pound against each other or loud screams of agony, Toris slowly uncovered his eyes. Miraculously, the stones had stopped just at the feet of the family, in orderly rows. Even more the miraculously, the stones started unfurling to reveal humanoid faces and bodies.

Toris blinked. "Trolls?"

He had heard of these mystical creatures before, from the owners of the depot. They had said that these trolls were nigh impossible to find, only favoring to giving audience to a rare few. But they were fabled to have magical abilities, like healing and making plants alive, and were very kind.

Toris yelped as the rock in front of him started to roll in place, unfurling into another one of the trolls. It looked back at Toris and Feliks and gave a mischievous smile.

"Hush, hush," the troll said with an obvious feminine voice, waving its hand and turning back at the valley. "I'm trying to listen."

Toris stared at shock at the troll, while Feliks started getting excited at the pink stones adorning the troll's hair.

The troll then slung an arm around the other two, gushing. While Toris tried and failed to wriggle out of her grasp, Feliks licked the troll's stone cheek, enjoying this a lot more than his human friend.

"You guys are absolute cuties. You don't mind if I kept you, won't ya?" The troll asked, before turning her attention back to the valley. Toris was about to protest, but his eyes went back to the valley and he went silent, watching.

Something was about to happen, something extraordinary.

* * *

Ivan clutched to the skirts of Kat's dress, fearful beyond belief. His eyes scanned the trolls around him, and he dug himself deeper into the dress. Were they benevolent, or were they there to hurt him?

The crowd of trolls parted as a single troll walked towards them. He looked the more human out of all them, looking about as old as Kat. His face was a stoic one, without any readable emotion. Small lights flitted around him, and when Ivan squinted they looked like butterflies. A small, green cross-like clip sat on his side bangs, and he was dressed in a loose tunic and pants. Kat kneeled down suddenly, and Ivan had to move out of the way.

The troll nodded to the king. "Your Majesty."

Ivan's father nodded as well. "Lukas."

Lukas kneeled on one knee, facing Ivan. Ivan nervously shifted under the troll's gaze. "Born or cursed with the powers?" Lukas asked, observing Ivan.

Ivan's father opened his mouth, but he paused as he tried to think of the answer. When he looked down at Kat for help, she obliged, but not before sighing internally. "Born, sir," Kat replied. "And I believe they're getting stronger."

"Th-They are," Ivan interjected, holding his hands nervously. "I can do magic I couldn't before, like-"

"Ivan," his father warned, shooting his son a warning glance. Ivan instantly hushed.

Lukas faced Natalya now, placing a hand on her forehead. His stone fingers felt along the white streak in her hair. "Struck by raw magic on the head," he diagnosed. He pulled out a blue gem the size of his palm, clutching it in one hand as he placed his other hand on Natalya's forehead. "We're fortunate it was not the heart. We would have had to take dramatic measures, especially one her age, but the head is easily curable."

"Do what you must," Kat said, watching Lukas.

Lukas nodded. He held the gem up as he started to massage Natalya's forehead with three fingers. Instantly, the gem lit up. "Removing the majority of the magic will be easy. However, I'll have to remove all memory pertaining the prince's magic ability to remove all the magic."

"Wait, what?" Ivan blurted, breath hitching. "She won't remember I have magic at all?"

Lukas sighed. "I'm afraid not." The gem glowed a bit brighter. "It will be for the best."

"Could you at least leave the fun they had together?" Kat asked, looking back at Ivan.

Lukas paused, glancing at Natalya. "... I might be able to," he finally replied, "enough so that the magic will only affect her on the surface. But she can't remember much of tonight."

"That's fine, thank you," Kat whispered, smiling at Ivan. Ivan tried to smile back, but guilt squashed all other feelings.

Soon, Lukas stopped massaging Natalya's forehead, and the gem stopped glowing. "It's done. Give her some rest once you get to the castle."

"Thank you," Kat repeated gratefully, shifting Natalya around her arms so that the young girl was resting on her shoulder. Natalya slept on, grimacing slightly, but was otherwise quite peaceful.

"Now, my prince." Lukas turned to Ivan, his face betraying a hint of concern. "Your power will only grow as you grow as well. There is beauty in magic, but also great danger. Fear, ultimately, will be your undoing if you're not careful." He put a hand on Ivan's own small hands. It felt odd, cool stone against his own flesh. "I must ask that you restrain your powers for now, especially by your younger sister and others. Learn how to control it first, then build from there."

Ivan nodded slowly.

"Thank you, Lukas," Ivan's father greeted. Lukas nodded, standing back up. "When we get back, we'll have to reduce contact with everyone. We'll reduce the staff, lock the gates, and keep Ivan isolated."

"Sir, I don't think that would be best-" Lukas started, holding a hand up for him to stop-

"Come, Kat, Ivan," the king continued, paying no heed to the troll. "We have work to do."

Ivan watched his father and Kat turn back towards the sled, then back at Lukas. Both Kat and Lukas shared the same concerned look, but both knew they were powerless to change the king's mind. Without another word, Ivan reluctantly followed his sister and father, bracing himself for the new changes coming up.


	2. Of Established Rules and Death So Cruel

"Natalya? Natalya… Natalya, could you wake up?"

Natalya opened her eyes into slits, witnessing her older sister shaking her awake with a worried expression on her face. Her long, blonde hair was already put up in a bun, and she looked like she was already in a queenly dress.

"Natalya, please," Kat begged, shaking harder. "Please wake up."

"'M awake," Natalya mumbled, lazily pushing away Kat's hand. "Lemme sleep."

Kat breathed a sigh of relief, her composure relaxing as she smiled at her sister. "Do you feel okay?"

Natalya slowly sat up on her bed, rubbing her face. "I'm fine…" She blinked the sleep away, but a persistent, dull pounding beat along the side of her head. "My head hurts, though."

A flicker of concern flashed through Kat's face, but it quickly disappeared. "Do you… Remember anything? From yesterday?"

Natalya looked down, thinking. Her brow creased as she struggled to remember the previous day, but it was all a gaping hole for her. She knew that something happened yesterday, something important… Something.

"No…" Natalya sighed, the little five-year-old rubbing her face again. "It hurts to remember."

"That's fine," Kat exhaled, placing a hand on Natalya's lap. "You need to get up."

Natalya nodded, slipping off of the sheets and out of the bed. She hadn't noticed the slightly distressed tone in her older sister's voice, occupied instead by her image in the mirror. Upon walking to it, she closely scrutinized her face.

"Is something the matter?" Kat asked, walking to the mirror and kneeling behind Natalya. Natalya kept on staring at the mirror, her gaze slowly shifting to the new white lock of hair. Kat curled Natalya's short hair behind her ear. "You look very pretty, Natalya."

Natalya nodded uncertainly, looking down at her nightgown and picking at it.

Kat hugged Natalya. "Come on. Let's change, and we'll eat breakfast. Father will be there." And with that, Kat stood up and walked to the closet, Natalya following close. Her face was back to her characteristic frown, impatiently waiting for a dress.

After being dressed in a blue jumper-like dress and adorned with a ribbon in her hair, Natalya followed Kat outside her room. As they walked hand-in-hand to the dining room, Natalya noticed that the hallways were quiet… Too quiet.

"Where are all the servants?" She asked critically, sweeping her gaze around the bare hallway they were walking through. Natalya found it suspicious that they hadn't even encountered one servant in their walk, not even one that was running late to a duty. At Kat's hesitance, Natalya looked up at Kat. "Big Sister?"

Kat tilted her head in an attempt to look like it didn't matter, but the expression on her face said that it did. "We… We had to make some staff cuts. Father and I," she quickly added, Kat looking down at Natalya.

"Why?"

"Because Father said so," Kat simply said, squeezing Natalya's hand to hush. Natalya ignored it, however.

"But, Sister—"

"Natalya, please," Kat begged as they entered the dining hall together, spotting their father at the head of the table. Natalya finally took the hint when she also saw him, taking her hand back from Kat as she walked to her spot on the table.

Like any royal dining hall, its main attraction was its long, oaken table covered with a wine red tablecloth and with a fancy candle decoration in the middle. It was designed to host large, fancy dinners, but the only chairs placed were the four in the far end; where the royal family sat. Two chairs sat at the head, with the other two right beside them.

Their father was already sitting in his seat, picking delicately at his own breakfast. He glanced up at the arrival of his daughters, the two taking their respective seats. As Kat sat right beside their father and Natalya right next to her, as plates of hot breakfast were slid in front of them, Natalya raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Ivan?" She asked, staring at the empty spot directly in front of her. She then glanced at Kat and her father inquisitively. "Well?"

Kat visibly stiffened, glancing at her father for help. He didn't even glance up.

"He's sick," he replied, nonchalantly taking a bite of his breakfast. "He needs to stay in his room."

Kat suddenly looked angry, about to snippily reply a retort, but Natalya beat her to it:

"Sick?" She asked, her food in front of her momentarily forgotten as she pushed it away. "But he was perfectly fine yesterday."

"He is _sick_ ," he repeated firmly, finally looking up to stare directly at Natalya. She returned the glare as well. "Ivan is sick, and he is not able to join breakfast with us." He then glared at the doors leading to the kitchen, eyes narrowing. "I thought I had told them his seat was not needed."

A clatter brought both of their attention to Kat, who was staring below the table in mock pity.

"I apologize," she muttered, reaching below and grabbing a small silver utensil. "I dropped my spoon."

Their father gave an exasperated look at Kat, who was currently glaring at her breakfast. With a sigh, he refocused on his own.

"I thought I had taught you better, Kat," he indiscreetly jabbed, the insult obvious as he continued his eating.

With an almost inaudible angry snort, Kat stood up suddenly, startling Natalya and making their father pause for a moment, glancing up at her as if awaiting his eldest daughter's move. For a moment, Kat stayed like that, gripping the dropped spoon like a weapon as she glared venomously down. Natalya stared at her in mild surprise, although it never showed on her face. This anger was uncharacteristic for Kat, usually being eternally happy or the like.

Finally, Kat pressed the spoon into the table, leaving her breakfast untouched on the table. She walked around her chair towards the kitchen doors, long dress swishing as she walked with anger-induced firmness.

"Kat—" Her father started warningly, turning in his seat to face Kat. He didn't make any move to chase her, however.

"Ivan hasn't received his breakfast, has he?" Kat shot back, stopping in front of the kitchen doors. "I should give it to him, him being _sick_ and all." And with that, she stepped through the doors, the doors swinging behind her.

Her father sat motionless for a moment before returning to his breakfast, acting as if nothing happened at all.

Natalya, on the other hand, continued to stare at where her sister was moments before, still confused. She felt like she was out of the loop of whatever her sister and her father were discussing, but she didn't press on the matter as she poked at the unappetizing breakfast.

* * *

Ivan stared at his hands as he sat on his bed, creasing his brow as he stared at them more and more.

Truth be told, he hadn't slept a lot since the "adventure" last night. He wasn't so sleep deprived that rings would've appeared below his eyes, but his slouch and half-lidded open eyes spelled out the tale. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes and take even a quick nap; his anxiety about his magic prevented that.

When he heard a knock on the door, Ivan became so startled that when he gripped the sheets in fear, magic-produced ice weaved itself into the wool. Startled by that as well, he immediately lifted his hands quickly, which flung sparkling snow in the air. He finally made the right decision and just clutched his hands to his chest as he stared at the falling snow in horrified awe.

"Ivan? Ivan, may I come in?" He heard Kat's voice through the door, a knock sounding again.

"Y-Yes, I'm here," Ivan called out, gaze switching to the door once all the snow had fallen. What prompted his sister to come in?

After the unlocking of the door with a key, Kat pushed the door open with her back as she held in both hands a tray, in which a bowl of what Ivan assumed was breakfast sat atop. With her foot she closed the door, balancing the tray in one hand as she flipped a switch on the door handle that relocked the door.

"I got you breakfast," Kat explained, walking over to Ivan's bed. She paused for a moment when she reached it, eyeing the wet, ice-edged blanket. "What happened?"

"I… I got startled," Ivan mumbled, tucking his hands under his armpits. Maybe if they weren't out, they wouldn't cast out any more magic.

Kat sighed in a sympathetic way, setting the breakfast in front of Ivan and sitting down beside him. Inside the bowl was a simple porridge, drizzled with honey. Ivan stared down at it, unwilling to eat.

At Ivan's hesitance, Kat tilted her head to look Ivan in the eyes. "Ivan?"

He looked desperately at Kat, hands still tucked. "I-I can't eat this."

"Why not?"

Ivan glanced back down at his breakfast, still scared. "I might… I might, well…" _Freeze it._ He glanced worriedly away, embarrassed.

Kat realized with a widening of her eyes, and she sighed. "You'll have to eat sometime, though. It's okay, Ivan," she comforted, reaching to lightly touch Ivan's forearm. He flinched at the touch, however, scooting back.

"Please, don't touch—" He shouted, backing away hurriedly. In his panic, he pressed his hands flat against the headboard. Frost spread itself along the headboard and posts of the bed, some of it reaching the walls. Some of the frost-dusted off on the pillows, melting.

Ivan and Kat both gasped, both of them wide-eyed at the swirls preceding the ice, which was slowing down to a halt. Ivan pushed the tray away, almost spilling the porridge, and practically fell out of his bed in an attempt to get away from the ice. He landed on his back, scrambling away. Kat had already stood up when Ivan fell back, hurrying to him.

"Ivan! Oh dear, are you okay?" She asked, kneeling down beside Ivan and trying to bring him into a hug. Ivan scooted away, ice springing up where his hands touched either the floor or wall.

"Don't touch me!" He pleaded, shutting his eyes and gripping his arms. Tears threatened to spill from his closed eyes, despite his best efforts to keep them in. "I don't want you frozen!"

Kat stopped, retracting her arms. She looked at the small ice spikes that Ivan had created along the carpet and walls, thinking.

"I…" Kat looked down, hand massaging the back of her neck. "How about…" She grimaced, first glancing at the door before looking Ivan. "Let's… Let's try something. Ivan?"

"Y-Yes?" Ivan mumbled, eyes still shut.

"I'm going to go grab something from my room, okay?" Kat started, slowly getting up. Ivan opened his eyes a bit, opening more and more as Kat turned to go. "Just stay here. I'll be back in a moment. Alright?"

Ivan nodded unsurely, and Kat hurried to the door to unlock it. She then remembered to grab the key from Ivan's breakfast tray, and she gripped it as she put a hand on the door handle to open it. Before she left, however, she turned and smiled.

"Eat some breakfast, if you can," she advised, before slipping out of the door and closing it. The clicking sound of the lock soon followed.

Ivan wiped some tears that had already started to spill over his cheeks after his sister left, using the sleeve of his pajama top. In the back of his mind, he was somewhat surprised that the tears didn't freeze upon contact of his skin.

He unclasped his hands from his arms to stare at them once again. _These cursed, horrible hands._ With a choked sniff, he gripped them into fists and forced them into his lap. Bowing his head, he tried his best to stifle his tears as he waited for Kat.

* * *

The silent hallways still unnerved Natalya as she walked towards the direction of her room. Normally, either a servant or Kat would accompany her to mind-numbing lessons in the study. But at the lack of either, Natalya decided to put matters in her own hands and walk herself. She was five years old; hardly a baby anymore.

She was distracted, however, when she came across a large window. The snow that was gathering behind the window caught the light, twinkling in a way that caught her attention. Climbing on a bench in front of the window, she looked out in awe of the scenery.

The courtyard below was empty, and the fountains weren't running, as per usual in the winter seasons. Snow dusted the floors and along the walls, gathering into clumps on the roofs and sides of the castle. Out in the capital city, Natalya witnessed adults and children alike bundled up in warm clothes, continuing on with daily life. Further out, the fjord was half-frozen, but there were two ships resting on the docks.

Natalya let out an exhilarated breath. Something about this snow… It excited her.

"It's the first snow of the season."

Natalya whirled around in surprise only to see Eduard standing behind her, who also looked excited at the snow.

"It's too bad we can't play out there," the young boy shrugged, looking a bit wistful. "The mistress won't let me."

Natalya gave him a weird look. "Why're you here?"

Eduard looked surprised for a moment, then he coughed in hand as he turned serious. "Um, yes. I was sent to bring you back to your room."

"Oh," Natalya mumbled. She turned back to the window, pouting. "I want to play outside."

"That would be nice," he agreed, nodding. "Playing out in the ice and snow, I mean. Your brother could—" He froze up, stiffening. "I mean—"

"That's right!" Natalya realized, turning back to Eduard with a determined smile. "Ivan could join me! He couldn't possibly be sick, of course not!" She jumped off the bench, dashing toward Ivan's room. "Big Brother!" She called out, cupping her hand around her mouth. "Ivan!"

"Miss!" Eduard gasped in surprise, taking a few steps forward before stopping in defeat. "Oh, dear…"

Natalya turned a corner with a pivot of her heel, dress lifting slightly as she did so. Her smile widened as she neared her brother's room. The prospect of playing with Ivan in the snow gave her great excitement, enough to quash her pessimistic mood. To make snowmen… To slide on ice… To jump from snowbank to snowbank…

She slid to a stop in front of Ivan's door, pushing on it. When it didn't budge, her smile slowly fell as she attempted to push it again, then pushing down the handle. Natalya frowned as she moved the handle vigorously in frustration.

His door was never locked. Why was it locked?

Sighing angrily, Natalya knocked on the door. "Big Brother?" She asked, staring in annoyed disbelief at the door. "Hello?"

There was a muffled yet distinctly shocked gasp, then a meek, "Natalya?"

"Yes, it's me," Natalya replied, knocking again. "Open the door, Ivan!"

Silence. Natalya huffed in annoyance as she waited, tapping her foot as she waited for a response. Finally: "Why… Why are you here?"

"Come on, Ivan, let me in!" Natalya demanded, knocking some more. "I want to go outside with you and play!"

"… What?"

"It's _snowing_!" Natalya exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Come on…" She leaned in towards the handle, speaking into the keyhole. "Do you want to build a snowman? Please?"

Natalya waited with bated breath, grin overcoming her features. It was one of the rare times when she was truly excited, she couldn't wait to hear her brother say yes-

"P-Please, Natalya, go away. I-I…" A heavy sigh. "I can't play. Please go."

Natalya gasped in surprise. No… Why would he…? No! He couldn't just reject her!

"Oh, come on Ivan!" Natalya protested, surprise turning into frustration. "You're not actually sick, are you? Ivan!" She rapped the door with her knuckles, growing angrier by the second. "Play with me! Ivan-"

She stopped with a slight gasp when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she blinked in surprise when she saw:

"Big Sister?" Natalya queried, turning to face Kat. "But— What?—"

"Natalya," Kat sighed, a sympathetic smile on her face. "Why aren't you in your room?"

"I want to play outside," Natalya repeated her request more insistently. "With Ivan."

Kat looked down on her for a moment before kneeling down. She placed something on her lap (gloves?) before putting her hands on Natalya's shoulders. "We can't go outside right now," she said in an attempt to comfort her little sister. "Please, go to your room."

"How about later?" Natalya pleaded. Was it possible to sound more desperate? "Please, Big Sister. You can join if you want to! Can we?" Pause. "Ivan's not actually sick, is he?"

Kat bit her lip, glancing sideways at Ivan's door. "… He does need to stay in his room," Kat whispered, her words measured carefully. "Go to your room, Natalya. We'll… We'll see if we can arrange a date." She got up, the gloves clenched in her fist. "I need to see Ivan now, go." She grabbed a key from her pocket and slid it into the lock. Before Natalya could peek in, Kat had slipped in Ivan's room, shut the door, and lock it.

Natalya scowled. What on earth was wrong with Ivan that she couldn't see him? Stubborn, she put her ear to the door.

"Ah, these should help…" Natalya heard Kat say. "Just put them on."

"But how will they help-" Ivan's panicked voice responded only to be shushed by Kat.

"Hush, Ivan," Kat comforted. "Wear these until we find a way to fix this. Conceal it for now."

Pause.

"… And don't touch anything," Ivan slowly said. "Don't let it show."

* * *

Days passed, and still, Natalya couldn't see Ivan. Then days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and Natalya was getting impatient.

She was currently in a tutoring lesson with Kat, but Natalya was more invested in flicking pieces of charcoal at the birds pecking behind the window in the lovely spring day than paying attention to the relations to the different countries.

"Asina doesn't interact with the other countries as much, leading to their unique culture and somewhat isolated policies- Natalya!" Kat sharply scolded, pointer falling away from the hanging map as she faced Natalya. "Pay attention, please."

Natalya blew out her cheeks in frustration when the birds flew away, most likely from Kat's sudden yelling, and she reluctantly turned to face Kat.

Kat frowned, taking the small box of charcoal sticks. "Did you…?" She groaned as she tilted the box for Natalya to see. "Natalya, you're not supposed to break the charcoal into little pieces. They're for writing."

"There were birds out there," Natalya said simply. She knew it would be a stupid excuse in Kat's eyes, but Natalya couldn't care less. "They were bothering me."

"What did the birds ever do to you?" Kat retorted. She placed the box of (now broken) charcoal beside her. "What did _animals_ ever do to you? Seriously." With a huff, she faced towards the map. "In any case—"

"Where's Ivan?"

Kat jolted at the question, almost dropping her pointer. She soon regained composure, but the intense stares from Natalya unnerved her.

She took a deep breath. "He's... ... You won't be able to see him anymore. It's for both your and his sake."

Natalya blinked. "... What? What do you mean?"

Kat turned back to the map, her grip on the pointer tightening. "As I was saying..." She pointed to Asina again. "They export mostly metalwork and weapons, such as their new invention gunpowder—"

"How come you can see him but I can't?"

Natalya flinched when Kat smacked the pointer on the desk. There was a tense moment of silence after the painful sound of wood against wood, and Natalya could've sworn that Kat's hands were shaking.

"... Please. Let's not talk about Ivan," Kat whispered, her voice flat. "I am taking care of him. It would be better if we didn't bring him up anymore."

After another tense moment, Kat inspected the tip of her pointer, then pointed to the map again. Whether intentional or not, she wasn't pointing at Asina anymore. "Now. Let's continue on with our lesson..."

* * *

They told her not to stop by Ivan's door anymore. Of course, Natalya never did anything the servants told her.

"It's stupid! They're _hiding_ me from you! And I don't know why!" Natalya griped. She was sitting by Ivan's bedroom, leaning on the doors. "I know you're not dead. Kat would've told me. But what's wrong with seeing you?"

Of course, silence. Natalya was used to that by now. Rarely Ivan would respond, but usually, it was along the lines of "go away" or "I don't want to talk". Natalya liked it better when he didn't say anything. It meant that he wanted to hear her.

Natalya sighed. "I'm not allowed to go outside either. Not even to the courtyard. We rarely have anyone visit the castle either. Sometimes Father goes out to meet people, and Kat does too, but usually Father's in his study or Kat's with me. Or you."

She perked up when she heard shuffling inside Ivan's room. Then, it was silent.

"I want to go out into the snow with you again." Natalya traced the patterns on her dress. "Remember? You would make snowmen, and then we would pretend they were alive..." She smiled wistfully. "And then... Oh, would we go sledding? I think so. I think I remember that..."

That was a strange thing she had noticed. Whenever she would try to think of playing in the snow with Ivan, the memories would shift and change. They were always different from time to time. One day she could only remember ice skating, and then the next day she could recall she and Ivan climbing up snowbanks and throwing snowballs at each other, with the memory of skating completely gone. It was frustrating, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"It's fun running around the empty rooms, though," Natalya hid her laugh behind her hand. "I get to explore the whole castle. Sure, the servants yell at me, but I know all the best hiding spots. ... Did we ever play hide-and-seek?" She shrugged. "I can stay hidden for hours. Sometimes I even skip dinner—"

She stopped when she heard a gasp. Then, she heard Ivan whisper "Oh no, oh _no_..." over and over again.

Natalya knocked lightly on the door. "Ivan?"

Before either child could say anything else, Natalya heard footsteps. _Kat_. She quickly stood up, standing on her tip-toes to whisper into the keyhole.

"I'll come back later," she whispered, glancing to the side. Kat was so close...! "I'm sorry. Kat's coming, if she catches me here!—"

Thinking Ivan got the message, Natalya dashed down the hallway. The servants couldn't do anything to her, but Kat... She couldn't risk it. She'll meet with Ivan later.

On the other side of the doors, Ivan stared at his hands. Then, at the iced-over wall. He didn't hear what Natalya said through the keyhole, being too preoccupied with the wall in front of him. This was bad. This was bad, this was _very bad_ —

"Are you okay?"

Ivan whipped around, his hands unknowingly swirling with blue magic, when he saw it was only Kat and calmed down. "It's getting stronger," he said, running up to Kat. "Big Sister, my magic getting stronger, I don't know what to _do_!"

Kat knelt down. "Shh, shh. I'm here." She reached over to stroke Ivan's face, a trick that usually worked to calm him down, but to her surprise, Ivan batted Kat's hand away.

"Please, don't touch me. I don't..." Ivan looked down at the floor guiltily. "I don't want to hurt you."

Kat frowned, but nevertheless she nodded solemnly. "I've got something for you." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out more gloves. At first, Ivan was about to protest, but then Kat shushed him again and explained: "These are more your size, yes? My gloves are too big for you. I asked someone special to make these for you."

Ivan gingerly took the gloves. He took off his old gloves and slipped the new ones on, flexing his hand. They were rather comfy, feeling snug yet flexible at the same time.

"Those should stop your magic easily now," Kat smiled, clasping Ivan's hands in her own. "And— Oh! One more thing for you!"

She reached up and undid the shawl around her shoulders, which turned out not to be a shawl but instead a scarf. She wrapped the scarf around Ivan's neck. Ivan touched it, at first surprised, and then gasped when he realized that there was no ice seeping into the scarf.

"I know how cold your room can get when you accidentally release your magic." Kat tugged one end of the scarf so the ends matched. "This may not be much, but I hope it's enough—"

"I love it," Ivan breathed, staring at the scarf in awe. _Natalya would love this_. At the thought, however, he looked up at Kat. "When can I see Natalya again?"

Kat's gentle smile fell. "I... I don't know. Hopefully soon. Father is the one who decides." She absently fixed Ivan's scarf once more. "I'll ask him again. I'm sorry."

Ivan only nodded. That was expected. His magic... It made him a monster. He looked at his newly-gloved hands, for once a little hopeful. Surely, now that these gloves could hold his magic better, he could finally go outside his room?

* * *

Seasons passed. Natalya and Ivan could never see each other, despite pleading from both siblings. Kat passed them to their father, but time after time, plea after plea, their father refused to let them see each other. _Suppose he lets out a spell and he_ kills _her?_ _No, it's better they stay away,_ he would retort _. Once we marry Natalya off and she moves kingdoms, then he'll be able to go out_.

Sometime when Natalya was a teen, Kat finally caught her trying to talk to Ivan. There was a huge argument, all which Ivan overheard, and when Natalya stomped off in an angry, crying huff, Kat struggled to keep Ivan in the bedroom. There was a servant stationed near Ivan's room at all times now, and Natalya was caught four more times trying to be with Ivan before she gave up.

Almost a decade of isolation later, all three siblings were miserable. They wanted to escape their situation, but unable to under the iron grip of their father. They could do nothing.

Natalya was about fifteen when her life changed dramatically for the second time.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Natalya demanded, staring indignantly at Kat.

Kat chidingly shushed Natalya. "Turn towards the mirror," she instructed, and with a grumble, Natalya faced forward again. Kat shook her head as she passed a brush through Natalya's hair. "Yes, Father and I will be going to a wedding in Irngeama. We'll just be gone for a month, three weeks if we're lucky. It'll be like we've never left."

Natalya frowned at the mirror. "Why do you have to go?"

"Because the crowned princess is my friend." Kat accidentally brushed over Natalya's white streak, and Natalya grimaced. "Oh, sorry. But I'm going because I know her. And because queens usually go with kings during these types of events." Kat stopped brushing Natalya's hair, and both sisters looked at each other in the mirror. Exhaling a laugh, Kat tucked a lock of hair behind Natalya's ear. "You're so beautiful."

Natalya mutely took the compliment with a nod.

A week later, Natalya wished Kat and her father a safe journey on the docks. For the first time in years, Ivan was there beside Natalya, waving his family goodbye. They glanced at each other for a brief moment, Ivan about to say something, when the servants whisked them away.

Natalya spent her time waiting. Waiting for hours, waiting for days. She stared at clocks and talked to portraits. She spent every meal alone. When Eduard came into her bedroom to clean it up, he often found discarded drafts of letters in the trash. The castle was devoid of life.

Three weeks passed. A month. _Two_ months.

Natalya, finally having completed a letter, went to one of the servants to deliver. However, that same servant had a letter of his own.

It was from Irngeama.

 _King Wynter and Queen Yekaterina never arrived at Irngeama's ports._

 _There was a malicious lightning storm along the passageway from Rossiya to Irngeama._

 _Subsequent searches found no traces of the boat nor of survivors._

 _Irngeama passes their condolences for your loss._

* * *

How could you do a funeral when there weren't any bodies?

Somehow, Natalya was able to maintain a calm composure throughout the funeral. Her expression remained impassive as they brought two empty caskets into the cathedral, her attention never wavered during the priest's sermon, her voice never cracked during her eulogy. When everyone was done giving their condolences to Natalya, she stopped by her father's and Kat's gorgeous tombstones. She could only stand to stay there for five minutes before she had to leave.

She found herself roaming the halls of the castle. The black train of her dress swished on the immaculate snow-blue carpet, light and flowing. She could hear the rain finally coming down, creating a white noise that let Natalya not think for a while. There were no servants anywhere. Natalya appreciated that. There was only enough consolation Eduard could provide.

Natalya stopped when she realized she was in front of Ivan's room. Just like the other hallways, there was no servant stationed outside.

A flare of anger sparked inside her heart.

"Where _were_ you?" She spat, gripping her dress to not outright hit the door. "Don't you think, as the crown prince of Rossiya, you would be there to be there for the late king's funeral?" She took in a shaky breath. "I had to be there _alone_. I had to be the face of Rossiyan royalty. The people were asking for you, and they only had me."

Only the rain responded to her.

Natalya, unable to restrain herself, slammed a fist on the door. "Eduard told me to have courage. _Courage,_ Ivan. How can I have courage when my brother doesn't speak to me and my sister is _dead_?!" Natalya choked down a sob, wiping tears away as fast as they dropped. "Ivan, I _can't_. I can't do this. It's... It's just you and me. And..."

Natalya's buried her face in her hands to prevent any more emotion from spilling out. She tried not to whimper, tried not to show weakness, but it was too much. She dropped down to the floor to lean back on Ivan's bedroom door. Just like when she was a child. Natalya looked up at the ceiling, letting her tears flow freely.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered, for once very uncertain for the future.

On the opposite side of the doors, Ivan blinked away his own tears. He had given up trying to control his magic hours ago; the walls, window, and ceiling were covered in a thick layer of ice. His scarf was wrapped all the more tightly around him.

All around him, large snowflakes hung in the air, suspended by grief.


End file.
